1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for transmitting detonation, and more particularly to a method for transmitting detonation at a sharp angle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Previous end tip configurations were cylinders of circular cross-section. A detonation traveling along a detonation transmission line, usually cylindrical in shape, enters the end tip having a larger diameter cylindrical charge. When the detonation reaches the end of the end tip, a shock wave and fragments cross the space between two adjacent end tips. The acceptor end tip is arranged so that it is struck on its side. If the acceptor end tip detonates properly, the detonation travels to the line to which it is connected, making a right angle turn. However, because of the circular cylindrical geometry, the circular cylindrical shape, the explosives in the cups cannot be brought together in uniformly close proximity, i.e., even if the cups touch they touch only along a line of tangency. Everyplace else the explosives in the cups are at different and greater distances apart.
The detonation may travel in the opposite direction, i.e., it may travel from the side of one end tip to the end of the second end tip to make a right angle turn. Even greater difficulties arise in this case for detonation transmission. When detonation transmission occurs from the end of one end tip to the side of another, an almost solid disc is thrown in a compact and straight line with little radial dispersion to strike the acceptor. This disc is effective as an initiator not only because of its ability to carry concentrated (undispersed) energy, but also because its velocity is a maximum because it is pushed by the detonation in the same direction in which the detonation is traveling, the only drawback being that all the fragments do not strike the acceptor simultaneously. However, when the detonation is from the side of one end tip to the end of another, there are many more and smaller fragments which are radially dispersed so the acceptor receives less energy because fewer fragments hit, and those that do hit have a radial velocity component. Furthermore, the velocity of these fragments is not as great as it would be if the detonation which pushed them were traveling in the same direction as the fragments instead of at right angles to that direction.
In addition to making the simple right angle turn, there are other requirements in which the detonation must be able to transmit through a Tee-junction. In this case the inefficiency of the cylindrical surface transmission is involved. Indeed, tests have shown that there are cases in which detonation from a flat end of one end tip is transmitted to the flat end of another end tip successfully 12 times in 12 tries, while when detonation with the same end tips is attempted from the side of a cylindrical end tip to the end of an acceptor end tip, detonation fails 12 times in 12 tries.